


Holosuites

by doseki



Series: Dragon's Backbone [4]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doseki/pseuds/doseki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course Garak is jealous of the time that O'Brien and Bashir spend in the holosuites.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holosuites

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Larathia](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Larathia).



> Takes place in my DS9 AU, which is basically DS9 after "Waltz" if Sisko hadn't gotten thrown out of the shuttle...etc, etc. Still writing the damn thing.
> 
> For Larathia, who left me the following spark: "Sometime there should be Bashir/Garak/O'Brien fic because I could totally see Garak as being a bit jealous of Bashir's holosuite time with O'Brien..." And I totally ran with it, except I really couldn't make it truly a threesome, because...well, O'Brien's married, even if Bashir likes him more. :) The Kool-Aid reference was totally my brain thinking that Star Trek needs more Pop Culture references in it, and any mistakes are my own, as my usual beta reader is fighting bronchitis at the moment.

"We're sunk," O'Brien said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Too damn many of them, and we're out of ammunition."

"We still have the grenades, Sarge," Bashir said, chancing a look over their barricade.

O'Brien's expression was grim. "Which will only be effective enough once they get within ten meters of our position."

"Then let's go down in a blaze of glory," Bashir said. He was about to pull the pin when Quark's voice broke through the sound of gunfire and bombs going off in the distance.

"Time's up, gentlemen. Any extensions will have to be placed with the management, as well as an advance fee of four slips of latinum."

O'Brien sighed. "Computer, end program," he said. The holosuite reverted back to its normal state, steel grey and green reflective panels. He got up, heading for the exit, closely followed by Bashir. "You _are_ the management, Quark," O'Brien said to the Ferengi waiting just outside.

"Of course I'm the management," Quark said, eying their period clothing distaste. "And if you want an extension next time, you pay up front for it."

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of an extension?" Bashir asked. "What if you don't know if you want one until you're well into the program?"

Quark shrugged. "No latinum up front, no extensions. I have some Yridian customers who have paid up for the next five hours, so off you go."

Bashir tugged off his helmet as he followed O'Brien down the spiraling staircase. "You off to work?"

O'Brien shook his head, giving Morn a wave as they passed by him. "Nah. Kira gave me the day off. I requested it about two weeks ago, and she finally got around to approving it. I promised Keiko my entire afternoon."

"I didn't know it was your day off," Bashir said, sounding surprised. "You should've said something, we could've rescheduled."

"Oh, no, Keiko insisted we keep our 'play date,' O'Brien said solemnly.”Something about me getting cranky if I miss our time in the holosuites and how she didn't want to deal with three cranky kids."

Bashir tried not to laugh. "Well, I'm going to be late for lunch. Garak will just have to deal with my fatigues. Tell Keiko hello for me."

"Will do. Later, Julian!"

Bashir smiled to himself and made his way over to replimat. Garak hadn't shown up yet, so Bashir took his usual spot at their table, setting his helmet down next to the flower vase in the middle. Today they were Lasuman violets. One of his Cardassian companions many 'occupations' had been xenobotany, and Bashir was starting to recognize plants in spite of himself.

Suddenly, a pair of rather heavy hands settled on Bashir's shoulders. "No time to go back to your quarters and change, doctor?" Bashir turned to see Garak smiling at him. "Or are you just trying something new?"

"No time," Bashir said, smiling back at Garak and reaching up to touch one of his hands. "Hope it's okay."

Garak gave Bashir's shoulders a squeeze - something, Bashir had learned, was a very _Cardassian_ gesture, with multiple layers of meaning, the least of which that it was a rather intimate one - and walked around the table, but he didn't sit. "I don't mind," Garak said, though his tone of voice seemed to have an edge indicating he meant otherwise. "That's the second time in three days you've gone to the holosuites, isn't it?"

"Yes," Bashir said. "We're nearing the end of _Normandy_. I think we're both eager to see how it ends."

"But you already know how it ends," Garak said. "The Falaise Gap, if I'm not mistaken. A very _risky_ maneuver if you ask me, but one that was effective nonetheless."

"Of course I know how it ends, but it's...well, I can't explain it. It's exciting," Bashir said, gesturing helplessly with his hands.

"As ever, I will take your word for it," Garak said, standing up. "So, lunch?"

 

Lunch was over far too soon for Bashir, as it always was. Especially since he still had to go change back to his uniform before going to the infirmary. He and Garak had parted ways at the turbo lift. On his way from his quarters, he ran into Dax. Ever the doctor, Bashir couldn't resist asking his friend how the family planning was going.

"You would be the first to know," Dax said. "Well. The third. Obviously Worf and I would know first. Not yet."

"Do you want me to see if I can adjust your hormone levels? I'd have to tweak the enzymes a bit, but it might make it easier."

Dax had a sparkle in her eye. "Part of the fun is trying for it," she said. "I promise you, if we come to a point where it's not fun anymore, we'll come see you."

"That's all I ask," Bashir said.

"So, I saw you and the Chief going to the holosuites this morning," Dax commented, not-so-subtly changing the subject. "Still on Normandy?"

Bashir nodded. "Yeah. We're near the end, so we've been trying to finish it."

"Of course. You want to see how it ends," Dax said. They stepped into the turbo lift. "Ops."

"Promenade. Now see, _you_ understand."

Dax raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing that means that your oh-so-secret-to-everyone-but-me-lover doesn't?"

Bashir sighed quietly. "No. He made a comment about how often the Chief and I had been in the holosuites lately, and I told him what I told you. His response was that I already knew how it ended and pretty much made it clear that he just didn't understand."

Dax suddenly laughed.

"What?" Bashir demanded.

"He understands fine. You, however, do not," Dax said, with another laugh. "I suppose I should ask if you want advice before I give it."

Bashir gave a snort. "Why? You don't usually." Dax put her hands behind her back and started humming to herself. "Oh for... Yes, Jadzia, I would like to hear your advice. Please share it."

"You're still terrible at masking your sarcasm," Dax said.

"Is that it?" Bashir asked as Ops came into view.

Dax stepped off the turbo lift. "Bye, Julian," she said with an over the shoulder smile.

"Jadzia!" was all Bashir managed before the turbo lift started its descent to the Promenade. _She is so frustrating at times,_ Bashir thought to himself. _But then, I suppose I am too._ Somehow, the thought was reassuring, but it didn't get him any closer to figuring out what her advice might be. Surely the sarcasm comment wasn't it. But what?

"She's three-hundred plus years old," he said quietly to himself as he moved through the crowds on the Promenade to the infirmary. "Who knows what she means?"

Work provided a distraction from his nagging thoughts, and Bashir threw himself into it. Between appointments and arguing with the EMH (which he had tweaked somewhat several months ago after a Jem'Hadar invasion due to a desperate need for sleep and being the only doctor on the station at the time, and he couldn't bring himself to uninstall it) he worked on his latest paper, which had to do with the histaminic response during Bajoran pregnancy.

Now that was something that Garak had listened to with interest. Bashir could go on for hours on his research papers, and Garak was happy to ask him questions and even give him ideas that he hadn't thought of before. The rest of his friends practically dozed when he tried to engage them in conversations about his research. Maybe it was just a Cardassian thing. Bashir had taken the bare bones when it came to psychology, and his knowledge of Cardassian psychology was only that which Garak explained to him. Maybe Cardassians didn't indulge their imaginations the way Terrans did.

But then, that made no sense, because Garak seemed to thoroughly enjoy hearing about, and even participating in his spy program and going to Vic's with him.

"Participation. Of course," Bashir said aloud.

The EMH was still on, and he shot Bashir an odd look. "I beg your pardon?"

Bashir shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Computer, time."

" _Nineteen hundred hours, twelve minutes._ "

"Computer, end EMH program," Bashir said, saving his work and turning his computer off. Twelve minutes over. No doubt Garak would've already headed up to their quarters for dinner. But that was all right, it would give Bashir a chance to figure out how to broach the subject with him.

His chance to brainstorm was cut short, because Garak was waiting by the turbo lifts for him. He was talking to Odo, and Bashir caught the tail end of the conversation.

"...absolutely necessary for the Romulans to retreat at Aldebaran Prime. If they hadn't, I seriously doubt you and I would be having this conversation right now."

"I still think it was a show of weakness," Odo said, and Bashir was interested. Usually it would be the other way around. Garak was happy to point out the flaws of any battle plan, and explain very clearly why it was so, without showing any favoritism for the fleets involved, including the Cardassian fleet. It was one of the reasons he was such a valued advisor to the Federation Alliance.

"True, if they had continued the attack, the Borg and the Jem'Hadar fleets around Aldebaran Prime would've been neutralized. However, there are seven other major star systems nearby that are known bases for the Borg-Dominion, and they most assuredly would have moved in and have either assimilated or wiped out the Romulans in a matter of hours. So what would have been the point?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Odo admitted. "Hello, doctor."

"Constable. Ambassador Garak," Bashir said.

Garak's eyes betrayed his amusement at Bashir's use of his 'official' title. "I'll be at the senior officers' meeting tomorrow morning, Constable. Perhaps we can discuss this further at that time."

"Of course. That would-" Odo stopped midsentence to look sharply to his right. Quark was approaching the turbo lifts, but as soon as he saw Odo, he turned around and went in the opposite direction. Neither Garak nor Bashir were surprised when Odo went swiftly after him.

Bashir chuckled to himself. Then he smiled at Garak, getting into the turbo lift with him. "Habitat ring, deck three, section seven."

"You know, Julian, I still don't quite understand your fascination with calling me 'Ambassador' in front of your friends," Garak said. "Though the way your nose wrinkles when you say it is quite endearing."

"Does it?" Bashir said, reaching up to touch it. "Would you rather I call you 'Elim' in front of them instead?"

Garak didn't grace that with a response. "You stayed rather late today. Still working on that paper?"

"Yeah. Well, somewhat. Actually..." Bashir bit his lip. Sometimes being candid with Garak meant evasion on the Cardassian's part, but since he didn't have time to brainstorm- "...are you jealous of the Chief because I spend so much time in the holosuites with him?"

As soon as he said it, Bashir wanted nothing more than to experience a temporal anomaly. Just two seconds back in time, that's all he asked. That wasn't what he meant at all! He didn't even consider jealousy as part of the equation, so where had it come from? He held his breath, and it seemed like he _was_ experiencing a temporal anomaly after all, as he waited for Garak's response.

Garak looked at Bashir steadily, his expression hard to discern. "Jealous?" Without warning, Garak took a hold of Bashir by the wrists and pushed him back against the turbo lift wall, pinning him to it. "Computer, halt." The turbo lift shuddered a little as it stopped. "Jealous?" he said again, his voice getting softer.

"That came out completely wrong," Bashir said, wetting his lips. "I meant to ask if...if you wanted to join us sometime." This was not going the way he wanted it at all.

"Not for your war games," Garak said, ducking his head so his mouth was right next to Bashir's ear. His grip around Bashir's wrists was firm, and now he was pressing his whole body against the doctor's, sliding one thigh between his legs, forcing him to spread them wider.

Bashir's breath caught in his throat, and he could feel his heart starting to race. He hated to admit it to himself, but he loved it when Garak got...well, _Cardassian_ on him. The only noise he could make was a soft moan of acquiescence.

"There's enough war going on right now that I would not desire to experience it in a fantasy setting," Garak murmured, his breath hot on Bashir's ear. "Though, I suppose it would be fair to say that yes, I do feel somewhat antagonistic towards the Chief."

"Elim-"

Garak gave a low growl in his throat, and then, as suddenly as he'd pinned Bashir, he let go, moving away from him, smiling pleasantly. "Computer, resume. I would be delighted to join you and the Chief in one of your programs sometime."

Starfleet uniforms didn't offer much in the way of hiding arousal, and Bashir's face was flushed. He pushed away from the wall and looked at Garak in utter disbelief. "You are _such_ a bastard."

"So you say, and quite often as of late, I've noticed," Garak said. "I hope you weren't planning on playing with the Chief after the meeting."

"No, why?"

"Because you won't be walking particularly well tomorrow."


End file.
